Resource allocation

Resource allocation

After resource requesters create a resource plan, resource managers can confirm the
resources to move the plan to Confirmed state. Resource managers can then allocate resources to
the plan and move it to Allocated state.

Based on calendar and schedule information, resource managers view resource availability
and select the resources under their management that can be confirmed and allocated to
specific tasks.

Soft and hard allocations

When a resource plan moves to the Confirmed state, resource allocations corresponding to
requested
allocations are created automatically. The Booking type for
these allocations is Soft. Soft allocations are like temporary
allocations for the requested users and do not create any calendar events.

When the plan is moved to the Allocated state, the Booking type
changes from Soft to Hard. For a hard booking,
the resource is assigned to the plan and is not available for other plans during the
allocated times. The booked time also appears on the user calendar. If the requested
resource cannot be allocated for the entire allocation duration, the allocation record
booking type remains as soft.

Note: The resource property
com.snc.resource_management.allocation_interval_minutes enables the
creation of soft and hard allocations with a decimal value.

Calculation of hours for soft allocations

Case 1: Proportional distribution

For example, the requested allocation for a group with two resources when the
Members preference value is set to All
members or Specific members is as follows:

Start date

End date

Planned hours

Oct 03

Oct 07

40

The planned hours on the Resource Plan form are proportionally distributed among
all the requested allocations based on number of working days for each requested
allocation record.

Note: Multiple soft allocations could be created for one requested allocation for group
resource plans.

Case 2: Most available resource requested first

For example, the requested allocation for a group with three resources when the
Members preference value is set to Any
member is as follows:

Start date

End date

Planned hours

Oct 03

Oct 07

40

The system finds the most available resources in the specified time frame and creates
soft allocations for these resources.

Resource

Available hours

Soft Allocation hours

Resource 1

24

10

Resource 2

30

30

Resource 3

20

Resource 2 is the most available resource. The system creates soft allocations
for resource 2 first until it consumes all available hours from resource 2. The system
then moves to the next most available resource, and so on. Once available hours for
all resources are consumed, and the planned hours are still left over after allocating
across all members (from most available to least available), the remaining hours are
equally distributed among all resources.

Calculation of hours for hard allocations

Case 1: Even spread

Selecting Even as hard allocation spread type creates resource
events for the resource by splitting the hours evenly across all working days.

For example, for a resource requested for 20 hours in a week, the even spread hard
allocation is as follows:

Day of the week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Available hours

6

4

6

6

Time off

Allocated hours

5

5

5

5

0

Case 2: Front load

Selecting Front load as the hard allocation spread type fills
up all available resource slots from the start date of the allocation. Once the
resource is fully allocated between start and end dates, the remaining hours are
filled from the start date up to 24 hours.

For example, for a resource requested for 20 hours in a week, the front load spread
hard allocation is as follows:

Day of the week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Available hours

6

4

6

6

Time off

Allocated hours

6

4

6

4

0

Event creation during hard allocation

You can control the minimum unit for an event by modifying the Calendar Event Duration
(minutes) (com.snc.resource_management.allocation_interval_minutes
property). The default is 60 minutes.

Example: 4 hours for 1 week, with an allocation interval of 60 minutes

Creates a 60-minute block from Monday through Thursday.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

60 mins

60 mins

60 mins

60 mins

Example: 4 hours for 1 week, with an allocation interval of 30 minutes

Creates a 60-minute block from Monday through Wednesday and 30-minutes blocks for
Thursday and Friday.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

30 mins+30 mins

30 mins+30 mins

30 mins+30 mins

30 mins

30 mins

Time-off handling

Resource events from a resource plan are not created for the days where the resource has
marked time-off or engaged in other events (such as trainings and meetings). An
administrator can manage the resource capacity and allocation with the property
com.snc.resource_management.exclude_events_from_schedule to
specify:

Which events must be excluded for capacity calculations. For example, if a resource
has time-off between Monday and Wednesday, the weekly capacity for the resource is
calculated as 16 hours (as opposed to 40 hours).

When the system must not create allocations. For example, if a resource is in training
on Friday, the resource is not allocated for a task on Friday.

Over-allocation

Over-allocated resources are allowed. Over-allocating resources creates overlapping events
in the user calendar within the user's scheduled hours. However, a maximum of 24 total hours
can be allocated in any given day. Overlapping events appear overlapped in the calendar in
the weekly view. In the monthly view, overlapping events appear above or below another
event.

For example, a user has a schedule that specifies the daily work day from 08:00 to 17:00.
Event 1 is in the user's calendar from 08:00 to 14:00. If an additional five hours are added
for the same day for Event 2, an event is created for the three hours of free time (14:00 to
17:00) . An overlapping event is also created for the remaining two hours, starting at the
beginning of the day (08:00 to 10:00).

Resource allocation

Resource allocation

After resource requesters create a resource plan, resource managers can confirm the
resources to move the plan to Confirmed state. Resource managers can then allocate resources to
the plan and move it to Allocated state.

Based on calendar and schedule information, resource managers view resource availability
and select the resources under their management that can be confirmed and allocated to
specific tasks.

Soft and hard allocations

When a resource plan moves to the Confirmed state, resource allocations corresponding to
requested
allocations are created automatically. The Booking type for
these allocations is Soft. Soft allocations are like temporary
allocations for the requested users and do not create any calendar events.

When the plan is moved to the Allocated state, the Booking type
changes from Soft to Hard. For a hard booking,
the resource is assigned to the plan and is not available for other plans during the
allocated times. The booked time also appears on the user calendar. If the requested
resource cannot be allocated for the entire allocation duration, the allocation record
booking type remains as soft.

Note: The resource property
com.snc.resource_management.allocation_interval_minutes enables the
creation of soft and hard allocations with a decimal value.

Calculation of hours for soft allocations

Case 1: Proportional distribution

For example, the requested allocation for a group with two resources when the
Members preference value is set to All
members or Specific members is as follows:

Start date

End date

Planned hours

Oct 03

Oct 07

40

The planned hours on the Resource Plan form are proportionally distributed among
all the requested allocations based on number of working days for each requested
allocation record.

Note: Multiple soft allocations could be created for one requested allocation for group
resource plans.

Case 2: Most available resource requested first

For example, the requested allocation for a group with three resources when the
Members preference value is set to Any
member is as follows:

Start date

End date

Planned hours

Oct 03

Oct 07

40

The system finds the most available resources in the specified time frame and creates
soft allocations for these resources.

Resource

Available hours

Soft Allocation hours

Resource 1

24

10

Resource 2

30

30

Resource 3

20

Resource 2 is the most available resource. The system creates soft allocations
for resource 2 first until it consumes all available hours from resource 2. The system
then moves to the next most available resource, and so on. Once available hours for
all resources are consumed, and the planned hours are still left over after allocating
across all members (from most available to least available), the remaining hours are
equally distributed among all resources.

Calculation of hours for hard allocations

Case 1: Even spread

Selecting Even as hard allocation spread type creates resource
events for the resource by splitting the hours evenly across all working days.

For example, for a resource requested for 20 hours in a week, the even spread hard
allocation is as follows:

Day of the week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Available hours

6

4

6

6

Time off

Allocated hours

5

5

5

5

0

Case 2: Front load

Selecting Front load as the hard allocation spread type fills
up all available resource slots from the start date of the allocation. Once the
resource is fully allocated between start and end dates, the remaining hours are
filled from the start date up to 24 hours.

For example, for a resource requested for 20 hours in a week, the front load spread
hard allocation is as follows:

Day of the week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Available hours

6

4

6

6

Time off

Allocated hours

6

4

6

4

0

Event creation during hard allocation

You can control the minimum unit for an event by modifying the Calendar Event Duration
(minutes) (com.snc.resource_management.allocation_interval_minutes
property). The default is 60 minutes.

Example: 4 hours for 1 week, with an allocation interval of 60 minutes

Creates a 60-minute block from Monday through Thursday.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

60 mins

60 mins

60 mins

60 mins

Example: 4 hours for 1 week, with an allocation interval of 30 minutes

Creates a 60-minute block from Monday through Wednesday and 30-minutes blocks for
Thursday and Friday.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

30 mins+30 mins

30 mins+30 mins

30 mins+30 mins

30 mins

30 mins

Time-off handling

Resource events from a resource plan are not created for the days where the resource has
marked time-off or engaged in other events (such as trainings and meetings). An
administrator can manage the resource capacity and allocation with the property
com.snc.resource_management.exclude_events_from_schedule to
specify:

Which events must be excluded for capacity calculations. For example, if a resource
has time-off between Monday and Wednesday, the weekly capacity for the resource is
calculated as 16 hours (as opposed to 40 hours).

When the system must not create allocations. For example, if a resource is in training
on Friday, the resource is not allocated for a task on Friday.

Over-allocation

Over-allocated resources are allowed. Over-allocating resources creates overlapping events
in the user calendar within the user's scheduled hours. However, a maximum of 24 total hours
can be allocated in any given day. Overlapping events appear overlapped in the calendar in
the weekly view. In the monthly view, overlapping events appear above or below another
event.

For example, a user has a schedule that specifies the daily work day from 08:00 to 17:00.
Event 1 is in the user's calendar from 08:00 to 14:00. If an additional five hours are added
for the same day for Event 2, an event is created for the three hours of free time (14:00 to
17:00) . An overlapping event is also created for the remaining two hours, starting at the
beginning of the day (08:00 to 10:00).

Figure 1. Overlapping event from the monthly view

Figure 2. Overlapping event from the weekly view

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